Second Time’s A Charm

Five

The marble floors felt cold beneath my hurried steps as I marched towards Michael’s office building, determined to confront him and give him a piece of my mind. I couldn't understand why he married me in the first place and stayed with me for ten whole years.

Two kids? He knew how much I wanted to be a mother, and how I struggled to conceive.

As soon as I walked through the doors Security guards tried to block my path, but I brushed past them, my heart pounding with each defiant stride.

"You do not want me to make a scene!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the grand corridor, fueled by frustration earning myself curious glances from other people.

One of the guards stepped in front of me, his expression stern as he whispered. "Ma'am, you can't just barge in here without an appointment."

“Are you crazy I suddenly need an appointment to visit my own husband!”, I yelled and swinger my purse at them. They acted like they had never seen me before when I always received greetings from them when Mason and I used to drop by to see Michael.

My patience wore thin as I met his gaze with fiery eyes. "I don't care about your rules. I need to speak to my husband, now! Now get out of my way!”,

Ignoring his protests, I pushed past him and got into the elevator that took me to the first floor where I found the receptionist waiting anxiously.

“Please ma'am “,

“Move!”, I gritted and burst into the CEO's office. My husband Michael looked up from his desk, surprise flickering across his face before it hardened into apprehension.

"What are you doing here? I have a busy schedule," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

My fists clenched at my sides, my emotions bubbling over. "I need to talk to you, now!" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt.

"How could you do this to me?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt.

He met my gaze with cold indifference, his eyes devoid of remorse. "I did what I wanted," he replied callously, his words cutting through me like a knife. “Let's not make this ugly just give up”,

The cruelty of his response fueled the fire of my anger. "You destroyed our marriage, Michael, all those years we shared together, all those words of love you professed to me where all lies?" I sobbed, struggling to comprehend his lack of remorse, my heart so heavy with betrayal that I felt suffocated, my husband of ten years had fathered two illegitimate children with my best friend. His expression remained stoic, unmoved by my tears and accusations

“Then why did you marry me? Why did you make me believe that you loved me all these years? Michael you promised me at the altar, why are you doing this? All I did was love you. I have up everything for you and this is what I get?”, I sobbed.

“It was convenient you think I haven't suffered? All these years I stayed with a woman I didn't love just so my company couldn't go bankrupt, Emily is the one I've loved, always”,

“So that's what all this was about?”, I laughed “And to think I gave my father’s company to you because you said you felt insignificant and not man enough”,

But he remained unmoved, his indifference a stark contrast to the pain etched on my face. "I don't regret it," he declared, his words like a final blow to my shattered heart.

In that moment, I realized that his betrayal was not just a mistake, but a conscious choice. I loved Michael with every fiber of my being and I knew if he were to apologize right now I would forgive him that's how madly I love him. But now I see it, the love I thought I once saw was all an illusion, it was my infatuated heart playing tricks on me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as his words cut through me like a blade. "Give up and stay away from my family," he ordered, his voice cold and detached. Then, he reached onto the right side of his table and grabbed a bunch of papers with a callous flick of his wrist, he tossed the papers at me, the papers landing with a heavy thud on the floor at my feet. “Sign the divorce papers and free us both from this misery we call a marriage”.

I felt a surge of anger and defiance rise within me. "I’ll sign the papers but I want everything that belongs to me back," I insisted, my voice trembling with indignation. "You came into this marriage with nothing, and you'll leave with nothing."

Since he did all of this for the money, I stripped him of all my assets and belongings.

But he only scoffed dismissively, his arrogance palpable. “Don't be funny Lilly you own nothing, at least you were useful for something”,

“We’ll see about that”, I said As I turned to leave, heart heavy with betrayal and sadness. Why didn't I see through his cruel intentions? He managed to fool me all this time just so he could use me.